Article excerpt

I've been thinking a lot about interview questions lately, having
recently gone through a stimulating interview process to be a K-8
principal. You have to answer a lot of questions in order to be a
school principal, and I love a good question - better than a good
answer, sometimes.

But my favorite question wasn't asked during my job interview.
The search committee asked well thought-out questions about
communications, code of conduct, and educational standards. They
asked for examples of my past successes and failures, and listened
to stories of my favorite school experiences. They asked questions I
would have asked in their position, and they learned a lot of
substantive things about me.

They did not, however, ask me the most important question: "Do
you know what Pokemon is?"

I mean no disrespect to the committee, but this crucial question
was asked a few days after my interview by Joey, and it got me
thinking in a new vein. While meeting me for the first time, he took
the opportunity to learn some vital information. Joey's going to be
a third-grader.

I have heard of Pokemon cards, and the characters, movies, and
cable TV shows that are part of the Pokemon universe. But I could
not tell you the story of Ash and Pikachu without research. Sure, I
can Google "Pokemon" and learn that "Pokemon are creatures of
various size and special powers that inhabit this world, coexisting
with humans." I can figure out all the names, brands, media outlets,
and commercial implications of the fantasy characters. But that
would be answering my question about Pokemon, not figuring out what
it means to Joey. The fact that it was the most important question
he could think of to ask when introduced to his new principal,
started me thinking.